I am glad they had a detailed response. I still am concerened when anyone becomes too close to a manufacturer that they become in effect almost a part of that organization. I still think that it should be "A to B(rommie)" magazine.
However in light of their response I do have more respect for their magazine but I am generally less interested in its content over the last year or so.
However for the people's general negative remarks against the Merc, it is really a Brommie in so many ways as you all know so that if you hate the Merc then you should hate the Brommie. It is basically a C type with a lighter frame and more stuff. It isn't like they don't put a good hub in it either, it has a Sturmey Archer. If the basic frame is good enough for Steve Parry to use all the other things are rather trivial or easy to replace if desired. With the cost savings you could swap out a lot of parts.
Anyway I do appreciate that A to B(rommie) to the time to reply in depth. I still would caution people to interpret their comment through how close their relationships are to the companies they test. I personally prefer the format of Consumer Reports Magazine in the US. They have NO relationships with the products they test nor do they take advertising from them or their agents. This reduces the risk of conflict of interest.
Unfortunately my experience with respect to magazine such as this is not very good. Years ago I subscribed to a motorcycle magazine in the US called "Cycle World". After a few years they should have just renamed it to "Honda World" as all faults of the Hondas were glossed over but if the Kawasaki or Suzuki that was a competitor to a Honda had the same fault it was the end of the world as we know it.
I appreciate that the magazine was founded by enthusiasts and that is a plus but when your hobby becomes your business then you need to watch that you don't make improper decisions based upon your enthusiasm rather than business ethics.